The Wrights of Bucks County...Chapter 2

All Wrighty then...I hope everyone had a lovely Holiday Season. We shall continue with the Wright Family. Joshua (1748-1818) and his son Joshua (1787-1863), my 4 Great grandfather and 3 Great Grandfather respectively. To refresh your memory, the Wright line of descent goes (with the addition of my new Grand Nephew! Yay and Congrats to Mom and Dad!) My Wright surnamed Grand Nephew (1), My Brother's sons (2), My Brothers (3), My Father Robert Wayne Wright (1927-1978) (4), My Paternal Grandfather Robert Burns Wright (1898-1975) (5), My Great Grandfather Traverse Rock Wright (1859-1940) (6), My Great Great Grandfather James Monroe Wright ( 1834-1912) (7), My 3 Great Grandfather Joshua Wright (1787-1863) (8), My 4 Great Grandfather Joshua Wright (1748-1818) (9), My 5 Great Grandfather James Wright (Abt 1715-1761) (10) and my 6 Great Grandfather Anthony Wright ( Abt. 1685-1749) (11) our most distant proven Wright Ancestor. We will start with Joshua Sr; many on ancestry.com have given him the middle name of Henderson. I do not know who started this, but do not believe it is correct. We are just going to call him Joshua Sr.

Joshua Sr. (1748-1818) was the son of James and Mary Stackhouse Wright. I also believe he was the step-son of William Burroughs. This is the entry I came across which lead me to believe that his Mother Mary remarried after her husbands death in 1761. She had 5 children, Elizabeth (1746), Joshua (1748), Jonathan (1750), Thomas (1752) and Charles (1754). It would have been common, even essential for her to remarry to provide for her children.

Vol B # 342 - WILLIAM BURROUGHS of Bristol in Bucks
County, Pa., Yeoman... 9 September 1763... obtained license of marriage for

himself and for MARY WRIGHT, also from Bristol in Bucks County, Pa., widow.

 files.usgwarchives.net/pa/bucks/vitals/marriages/njbucksmar.txt

I have not been able to discover much about any of the other children of James and Mary.  Elizabeth
 married Thomas Cheston and she is buried in Bristol, Bucks, PA.  The 3 boys, Jonathan, Thomas
 and Charles are listed as Tax payers in bucks Co. but I have no idea whom they married or if they
left children.   

 Joshua Sr. was our Revolutionary War Ancestor.  He was a member of  The 1ST BATTALION BUCKS 
COUNTY  MILITIA.  My Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Membership was accepted on my Lineage to Joshua Wright Sr.  His Daughter Elizabeth  Penelope Wright  who married Samuel Cabeen and removed from Bucks County to Ohio and then to Mercer County, Illinois (about a 20 -30 minute drive from where I now live) was what is known in DAR as a "True Daughter" since her father was in the Revolutionary War.

Lineage Book of the Charter Members of the DAR Vol 074

There is a discrepancy of 3 years between what the DAR shows and what I have as a Birth Date for Joshua.  As there were no Birth Records at this time-a three year difference is not unusual.

 Joshua Sr. married at St Mary's Episcopal  Church in Burlington New Jersey as did his parents.  It is
 possible that they are buried in that churchyard also.  His wife was Sarah Mitchell; they married in 1770.  
The following is an excerpt about the Mitchell Family of Bucks County:  I have marked our direct Mitchell ancestors in 

purple

[The Mitchells, early settlers of Middletown, were descendants of Henry 
Mitchell, Marsden Lane, Lancashire, England, carpenter by trade, who 
married Elizabeth Foulds,3d month, 6th, 1675. Both were members of the 

Society of Friends and he was imprisoned for his religious conviction, 
1685. On 12th month, 16th, 1699, Marsden monthly meeting gave a 
certificate to Henry Mitchell, wife and four children; they embarked in 
the Britannica for Pennsylvania, and arrived in the Delaware August 25, 
after a voyage of fourteen weeks. The vessel was overcrowded and there was 
great sickness on board, fifty-six dying at sea and twenty after landing, 
among them being Henry Mitchell and one son. The widow and three children 
settled near the head of tide water on Neshaminy, and Middletown has been 
considered the home of the family. Of the children, Richard built and run 
the first grist mill in Wrightstown, and became a prominent man; the 
daughter Margaret married Stephen Twining; Henry remained at the 
Middletown homestead, and married Sarah, a daughter of Richard Gove, 
London. Elizabeth Mitchell, widow of Henry, the immigrant, died in 
Middletown, where her death is recorded in the Meeting record. Pierson, 
son of John, married Rebecca Allen, daughter of John Allen, and also 
remained at the homestead. In 1804, Gove Mitchell, son of Pierson, bought a 
farm in Moorland, Montgomery county, at the intersection of the York road 
and county line, half a mile above Hatboro. He studied medicine and spent 
his life here practicing his profession. At his death the farm passed to 
his eldest son, George Justice Mitchell, and from him to his son J. Howard 
Mitchell, who lives there with his children and grand children. The late 
Pierson Mitchell, Middletown, was a descendant of Henry Mitchell.*]

http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/bucks/history/local/davis/davis11.txt

Our Grandmother, Sarah Mitchell  who married Joshua Wright Sr. was the Grand-daughter of the above Henry and Sarah 
Gove Mitchel.  Her parents were Henry Mitchell and Mary Bessonett.  The Bessonetts were French Huegenots 
and proving descent from them would qualify for Membership in The Huguenot Society as they are
qualifying ancestors.  

 Mary Bessonett was the
Granddaughter of Claude (Charles) Bessonett, owner of the popular King George II Inn in Bristol,  Buck Co, PA.   This, 
originally called the Delaware House, it is  the oldest continuously running inn in the United States.  My 
sister and I had dinner there this past summer  and thoroughly enjoyed our meal and our postprandial
 stroll along the Delaware River , watching kids catch Pokemon! 

King George II Inn from the River Walk, Taken by  me August 2016.  Bristol, Bucks County, PA

Enjoy the King George II Inn website at http://www.kginn.com/our-history/   Scroll down on the Our History page for a neat early map of Bristol, PA.  (Lots of Wrights!)


The following is the story of our 7th Great Grandfather, the Huguenot, French Immigrant Claude (Charles) Bessonett, taken from http://www.livingplaces.com/PA/Bucks_County/Bristol_Borough/King_George_the_Second_Hotel.html

George the Second Hotel. [Still operating in 2009 as King George II Inn.] In 1765, Charles Bessonett built the George the Second Hotel, now the Delaware House [in 1911], on the site of the Ferry House, and was kept by him for many years. After his death his son John succeeded him, of whom it is said he was never known to drink a glass of liquor. This was a famous house in its early days. It had the reputation of being one of the best hotels between Philadelphia and New York. In the summer season it would be taxed to its utmost capacity to accommodate the people who came to Bristol from all parts of the country for the benefit of the Bath spring waters.

During the Revolutionary War, a company of Yankee troops arrived in Bristol and encamped in the wood on the farm owned by James Rogers. It was afterwards called the Yankee woods. The next day they marched into town; when they came to the King of Prussia at the corner of Mill and Pond streets, they gave three cheers. The landlord called them in and treated, being pleased with the compliment. They marched down the street to Bessonett's Hotel, and seeing the sign of King George the Second, they commenced to fire at it, and did not stop until it fell out of its frame. After the war Mr. Bessonett erected a new sign representing a fountain. It was much admired in its day. This is the oldest public house in Bristol.

Charles Bessonett. — Mr. Bessonett came from France and settled in Bristol as early as 1730. He was a bricklayer by trade and built many houses in Bristol, making his bricks on the lot now occupied by the Leedom mills. He built the George the Second Hotel, now the Delaware House, in 1765, and in 1773 started a stage coach line between Philadelphia and New York. In his advertisement to the public he says: "Unparalleled speed. From Philadelphia to New York in two days, fare $4.00. Comfort and safety assured." The return of the assessors for the year 1785, show that he was assessed for one building, sixteen horses, two cattle, one bound servant, three Negro slaves, two stage wagons, one ferry and his occupation, upon which he paid a tax of £3 1 shilling, being the largest taxpayer in the borough. His three slaves were valued at £100. At the time of his death he left five children, John, James, Charles, Daniel and Mary, with a large and valuable real estate, not a foot of which is now in possession of any of his descendants.

1. Doron Green, A History of Bristol Borough in the County of Bucks, State of Pennsylvania, Anciently Known as Buckingham, C. S. Magrath, Camden, printer, 1911

Grandfather Joshua Wright Sr appears on the 1st Federal Census of the new Unite States of America
in 1790.  He is listed as a Slave Holder, owning one Slave.  To learn more about Slavery in the Northern States, especially Pennsylvania, read http://slavenorth.com/pennsylvania.htm

1790 Census  The far fight hand column lists the number of Slaves

On the 1800 and 1810, there is still a column for Slaves, again the far right hand column. Joshua has none listed on either form.

Joshua Sr and Sarah Mitchell Wright had 11 children.  I have met cousins online who descended from some of the children of Joshua and Sarah Mitchell Wright.  Joshua Sr died on  22 Sept 1818; his wife had died about 10 years earlier.

Page from the Bible of my Great Grand Half Aunt Melissa Gazelle Wright Duvall showing the Family of Joshua and Sarah Mitchell Wright

Joshua Wright, Junior was the eighth child, third son of Joshua and Sarah.  He was born in Bristol Township, Bucks County, PA on 21 March 1787.  This Joshua married Bathsheba Rue, (1791-1875) Bathsheba's name is often found as Barsheba, Batsheba and on her Tombstone, it is Ebathsheba.  She was the daughter of Matthew Rue and Mary Weaver.  The Rue Family is another Huguenot family.  I would love to delineate the descent from the Immigrant Ancestor, but as it seems every man in each Generation was named either Matthew or Lewis-I long ago gave up trying to sort out this family.   

Excerpt from Genealogical and Memorial History of the State of New Jersey A Record of the Achievments of her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation   Complied by
Francis Bazley Lee

Joshua Jr first shows up on the 1820 Census-on 1810, he is enumerated under his Father.  His first child was born in 1811-so I am assuming that his marriage took place after the 1810 Census was taken.  I have not found a Marriage Record for this couple.  I do believe they were married at St, James Episcopal Church in Bristol, Bucks PA.  The next time I get out that way, I want to spend time in Bucks doing research. Joshua appeared on every Census from 1820-1860.   He was in the Public Records frequently-he was named as a Guardian to many  children.  This was a bit different than it is in our time-he was charged to look out for the child's interests in the Court System rather than being a Parental surrogate.  Sometimes the child's parents were living but a guardian was needed to protect the interests of the child.

Joshua Jr and Bathsheba  had 11 children.  Two of the younger boys Lewis Rue and James Monroe  Wright ended up following their Aunt Elizabeth Cabeen, mentioned above, to Mercer County,. IL.
  The page below, calls Sarah Mitchell, Joshua's Sr's "1st wife".  I have never found a 2nd wife although Sarah died many years before Joshua so it is possible.
This is one reason I love Genealogy so much...always something to ponder on...

Family of Joshua and Bathsheba Rue Wright from Aunt Gazelle's Bible

Transcription of a letter from Joshua Jr to his Brother-in-law Samuel Cabeen-from Bristol, Bucks Co PA to Mercer County, IL

Mimeo of the Original letter-very difficult to read.  I do not have the original.  I obtained the copy and the transcription from a 2nd Cousin

Joshua died in 1863 and is buried in St. James Episcopal Church yard.  His will lists all of his children by name (this is what gave me the clue I needed to find Maria Watson Wright's family)  His wife died in 1875 and is buried with him.  His Will also mentions his Grandchild Elizabeth and Franklin, Wright, children of his son Joshua. Joshua died in 1855 at about age 30 so he predeceased his father who died in 1863.  1863 was also the same year his Daughter-in-Law Maria Watson, my Great Great Grandmother died.  As I do not know the Cause of Death for either of them, I  cannot say for certain that their deaths were related or not...I am assuming not.  (See previous Post regarding Maria Watson Wright)

Will of Joshua Wright d. 1862

We have had the Y DNA tested for the Wright Line.  As I mentioned in a previous post, the DNA results have definitely ruled out any connection to the Oyster Bay Wrights.  We have matched several men named Wright, however, all from the Bucks County, PA, Lycoming County PA and Burlington County, NJ. Some of them, we have connected easily to our line...there are still a couple of  men that we know are from our Line but the exact connection has not yet been made.   Interestingly, there is one man who is a near perfect match at a high number who does not have the surname Wright, but does have a family story of an adoption during early US historical times and that the birth father was a Wright. You can visit the Wright DNA Project at http://www.wright-dna.org/ and if you are a male Wright or have a male Wright cousin, brother, uncle or father please consider donating DNA  to this project.